Huckabee: I will Not Use the H-Word on Rudy

Controversy continues to bubble up around GOP presidential contender Mike Huckabee over his belief that legalized abortion constitutes a modern day “holocaust.”

Huckabee was asked about it by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer yesterday, and confirmed that, from his perspective, Roe v. Wade has wrought a modern day “holocaust.”

That, in and of itself, is something of a yawn by now, but we were amused here at Forward by Blitzer’s awkward attempt to get Huckabee to accuse Giuliani – who has long taken flack on the right for his pro-choice views – of therefore supporting a “holocaust.”

Huckabee didn’t take the bait. As I explore in a story I put up today, the whole focus on the former Arkansas governor’s beliefs about abortion is something of a red herring. It suggests Huckabee is a card-carrying member of the old Christian right, when he’s in reality part of a new breed of evangelicals who are more interested in reaching out to mainstream America.

Here’s the exchange between Blitzer and Huckabee:

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asks Huckabee today: “You said that abortion, from your perspective, was a holocaust. Right?”
Huckabee: “Yes.”
Blitzer: “So Rudy Giuliani is the only Republican presidential candidate who supports abortion rights for women. Is he participating in a holocaust?”
Huckabee: “No, and I think Rudy would be the first to tell you that he doesn’t support abortion. He just believes that it ought to be legal. He and I disagree with that, in the sense he believes we ought to accommodate that viewpoint…”
Blitzer: “But in effect what you’re saying is he wants – at least a holocaust to be made legal, which is abortion from your perspective.”
Huckabee: “He at least says he wants to see abortions reduced and move more toward adoption. And I appreciate that in him. I hope we can keep working on Rudy and get him to a full pro-life convert before it’s over.”

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